Boeing and BAE are building a weapon that combines a traditional M242 autocannon—which fires 175 rounds per minute with a range of 2.5 kilometers—with a high energy laser. They call it the Mk 38 Mod 2 Tactical Laser System.

Similar to the successul Boeing's Laser Avenger—which is being developed for the US Army—the MK 38 Mod 2 combines a powerful Naval 25-mm machine gun with a solid state high-energy laser weapon module.

The laser will be able to target and destroy surface and air targets like small boats and unmanned aerial vehicles. The Navy is excited about it because they can integrate it in current ships with little work. [Boeing]